Railroad-rail



(No Model.)

H. W. LIBBEY.

RAILROAD RAIL.

No. 414,062. Patented Oct. 29, 1889.

W wwwwilfirhn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIOSEA IV. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAl LROAD-RAI L.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,062, dated October29, 1889.

0 Application filed December 17, 1888- Serial No. 293,788. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOSEA WV. LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Rails, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a rail for steam-railroads inwhich there will be a certain degree of elasticity, thereby pre ventingto a great extent the jolting of the cars occasioned by the rigid railsnow in use, and also saving wear and tear to the runninggear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aperspective view of a portion of a railroad-rail embodying my invention.Fig. shows a spike with a square head for securing the rail to thesleepers.

A represents the head of the rail, which may be of any suitable form,and B the lower flange, which at its outer edges 1) is formed flat torest upon the sleepers, and its central portion b is arched or roundedup, as shown. The head or tread A and the lower flange B are connectedtogether bya central web O, as in an ordinary railroad-rail. In the flatportion Z) of the lower flange B, I form oblong bolt-holes d, or longslots, as shown at (1 through which square-headed spikes or bolts arepassed to secure the rails to the sleepers, said spikes or bolts beingdriven in near the outer edge of the holes d.

Then a train passes over the rails, the weight of the engine and carswill cause the rails to be depressed and the flanges b b to slightlyspread out, and when the weight is removed the rail will assume itsnormal condition, the arched portion 19 acting as a spring and theoblong holes allowing of suflicient movement of the flanges withoutinterfering with the bolts or spikes. It will be seen that by thisyielding of the rail its life will be much prolonged and the wear andtear of the rolling-stock much reduced, while the cars will run moresmoothly.

hat I claim as my invention is A railroad-rail consisting of a head anda lower flange arghed in the center and flat at its outer edges, saidflat edges beingprovided with oblong holes or slots, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 22d day of No- Vember, A.D. 1888.

IIOSEA WV. LIBBEY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. STEERE, EDWIN PLANTA.

